It's getting to be that time.

Yes, I've returned.  I've been horribly derelict in my duty, I'll admit.  But sometimes the real world prevents me from blogging about the Tribe -- I know, totally lame.

But let's get right to it.  We've managed to lose 4 straight and fall below .500 yet again.  And, really, we're getting to the point where something needs to be done.

The two solutions that I actually enjoy would involve the rise of both Shin Soo Choo and Adam Miller.  Choo was 3 for 4 in Buffalo today with a homerun.  Miller threw five scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 1.88.

Now, these are some big assumptions to make, but if Choo can live up to his potential (the few times he was up with the Tribe) and Miller can do the same, those would be some nice additions to our outfield and our bullpen (where Miller would most likely have to go).  An outfield of Choo, Sizemore, and Francisco could be amazing, if they all perform like they can.

But clearly we can't bank on such things.  Our division is simply too competitive for that.

As much as it pains me to say this, I think we're going to have to trade away some pitching.

The worst part of that is the fact that two of our starting five are free agents after this year.  In theory, we'd need to bring up two guys from Buffalo to fill those spots next year, and that would leave us really exposed, especially since we've already used 7 different pitchers this year.

Even worse, Aaron Laffey seems to be the focus of most of these trade rumors, which makes sense as he'll get sent down when Westbrook returns.  I'd rather part with Sowers, but Laffey's value is pretty high.

So where do we send him?  There's been talk about Garret Atkins in Colorado, a great third baseman.  There's also been talk about Brian Roberts in Baltimore, a move that many like because it would allow the Tribe to move Cabrera to short full time.

And while I love the idea of Cabrera as our shortstop (and I've defended Peralta a lot in my time), I think I prefer the Atkins option, simply because we have NO depth at third.  There's also the fact that he'd probably be available much sooner than Roberts, as the Rockies are clearly dropping faster than the Orioles.

Still, the bottom line is that the Tribe is going to have to make a deal soon, because as leaky as our bullpen has been lately, our offense is the only reason we're losing.

Consider this, though: if Francisco is for real, then we have a good start, with Benny, Sizemore, and Martinez.  That's at least something to build on.